Read Online Shard Knight (Echoes Across Time Book 1) by Matthew Ballard - Free Book Online

don’t have any coin.”
    “What sort of host would I be if I charged my guests for meals?” He kicked his feet off the table. “It’s the least I can do. You saved my life after all. Let me clean up a bit, and I’ll fix us some stew.”
    The slender boy stood and glided to a plain oak cabinet near the iron stove. As he removed his hat, a jumble of shiny raven hair spilled over his shoulders. He moved his hands through his thick lustrous locks spreading it wide over his shoulders and back.
    Ronan’s throat constricted, and the room felt warmer than a moment ago. He licked his dry lips, and his jaw slackened. The clean tucked-in sheets, the home cooked meal, and the warm cozy room. All signs pointed to a woman’s loving touch.
    The girl stood over the hot stove and grabbed a steaming tea kettle simmering behind the stew pot. She poured clear hot water from the kettle into a basin next to the cabinet and rolled up her sleeves. Next to the basin, she picked up a bar of soap and washed her hands.
    She dried her hands, opened the cabinet, and bent searching for something on the bottom shelf. As she sat on her knees, her trousers tightened accentuating the perfect curves of her firm rear end where it met the tight lean muscle of her hamstring.
    Heat spread through Ronan’s face, and he forced his eyes away. She’d let him into her home, nursed him back to health, and he had the raw nerve to ogle her like a barmaid.
    A serving tray appeared in the Ayralen girl’s smooth hands as she stood and placed it on the long wooden table.
    Ronan’s eyes flickered to her face, but she moved back to the cabinet before he could see her.
    The girl knelt before the dish cabinet and gathered bowls, napkins, and utensils. As she stood, she curled a few loose strands of hair behind her ear revealing smooth skin, high cheekbones, and long dark eyelashes.
    She ladled beef stew into a polished clay bowl and placed it on a serving tray. After arranging the utensils and napkins, she lifted the tray and faced Ronan.
    Ronan’s suppressed a gasp as he took his first good look at her face. He’d never seen any Meranthian girl whose face conveyed such exquisite perfection. Her every movement exuded femininity and confidence. He felt foolish for thinking her high-pitched voice had something to do with her Ayralen heritage.
    Her full lush lips curled upward teetering on the edge of a smile, and her gray eyes sparkled in the candlelight’s dreamy haze. A high pert nose, clear soft skin, and a complexion the color of fresh honey rounded out the rest of her flawless features.
    As she approached, his mouth hung open, and his breaths came in short ragged pulls.
    She hovered over the bed, and amusement danced in her eyes. “Have you never seen a girl before?”
    Ronan’s face flushed. “You’re not a boy. I mean you’re a girl. I…”
    Her eyes flickered to his bare chest. “How observant of you.”
    Heat spread from his cheeks through his neck and ears. He ran his hand under the sheets and felt the soft cotton of his underclothing. With a sigh of relief, he tugged the sheets upward covering part of his stomach.
    “I grew up with a brother. Do you think you have parts I haven’t already seen?” A wide smile crossed her face revealing a set of perfect pure white teeth.
    Ronan’s heart nearly stopped. He needed to regain his balance and think. He couldn’t spend his time fawning over a girl.
    She set the tray in his lap. “How does this look?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “The stew. Is it okay? I can get you something else.”
    Despite his hunger, he’d forgotten the stew. “Oh…yes. It looks delicious. Thank you.”
    The girl returned to the wooden table, eased into her seat, and placed a napkin in her lap. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
    Ronan’s ears turned red. “Yes. I didn’t want to be rude.”
    Her eyes never left him as her lips curled into a small circle, and she blew on a spoonful of stew. “Don’t wait on my account.”
    The